Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, stated, on Sunday, in Moroni, capital of the Union of Comoros, that the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) continue to be a good example in regularly holding free elections and transparent.
João Lourenço, speaking at the Malouzini Football Stadium, where the investiture ceremony of the President of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, re-elected on January 14th, took place, said that the only sustainable and legitimate way to conquer power in Africa is through free, fair and transparent elections, because “it gives the people the opportunity to celebrate the festival of democracy with all the recognized virtues”.
“The SADC countries are a good example in terms of regularly holding free and transparent elections, the results of which do not violate the rules, a violent finding that endangers the maintenance of order and stability in the countries, nor the foundations of the Democratic State and the Rule of Law”, highlighted the Angolan statesman.
According to the president of SADC, the leaders emerging from free and fair elections have a broad and consistent popular base that allows them to govern with dignity and in a climate of greater serenity and stability for the country.
The Angolan President called on parties competing in the general elections that will take place later this year in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa to respect the results to be published by the Electoral Commissions.
Regarding the re-election of President Azali Assoumani, the Angolan Head of State said that it is the recognition of the people of the Comoros for “such a committed transformation of the country”, leading towards economic development, social progress and prosperity for the Comorians.
Azali Assoumani, stressed João Lourenço, was re-elected once again to be in charge of tasks of a high degree of complexity and put the country on the path of development, but he believes that, with the dynamism and devotion to the noblest causes of the Comorians, he will be able to overcome obstacles and barriers.
The holding of the important investiture ceremony, highlighted the President of the Republic, is also an opportune moment to highlight the role that Azali Assoumani played as acting president of the African Union in 2023, in order to address the continent’s major issues with realism and pragmatism necessary to resolve the main problems facing Africa.
“This is a proud legacy that will serve as a guide and guidance to define strategies that allow us to accelerate the processes of promoting dialogue aimed at putting an end to conflicts on our continent, paving the way for the economic and social development of countries”, stressed the statesman who returned to Luanda just yesterday.
Instability
President João Lourenço expressed concern about the situation of instability and war in some of the SADC member states, namely Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, reiterating his continued support and solidarity.
According to the Angolan Head of State and acting leader of SADC, the armed conflict in Sudan has caused increasing human casualties and great destruction of the country’s important economic infrastructures, as well as a high number of internally displaced people and refugees that are destabilizing neighboring nations, struggling to respond to the humanitarian emergency created.
Regarding the humanitarian situation, João Lourenço said that he understands that international agencies prioritize responding to other ongoing conflicts, namely in Palestine, to respond to the “serious humanitarian catastrophe” of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. He reinforced that the Sudanese people deserves equal attention and the war in Sudan cannot be forgotten or simply ignored by the international community.
After the ceremony, President João Lourenço met with his counterpart and both discussed matters of bilateral and regional interest, as leader of SADC.
Ceremony at Malouzini Stadium
A total of 13 judges from the Supreme Court of the Comoros were at the Malouzini Football Stadium to formalize the inauguration of President Azali Assoumani, re-elected with 62.97 percent of the votes, in the January 14 elections.
The event was attended by the Heads of State of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Madagascar and representatives from Tanzania, China, France, the African Union, the African Development Bank, among other international entities.
Azali Assoumani, when giving the first speech of his fourth term, said that, until 2029, he will work with all Comorians to improve the social, economic and financial situation of families, particularly young people.
The re-elected President, before the Supreme Court, swore allegiance to the nation and said that the capture of credits is on the political agenda to allow in the medium and long term the construction of social infrastructures, such as schools and hospitals, as well as in the Agricultural, Fishing and Tourism.
Assoumani, 65 years old, will be at the forefront of the destinies of the people of Comoros for another five years, after assuming power, democratically, for the first time in 2002.
From the Convention Party for the Renewal of the Comoros, the current leader came to power for the first time in 1999, after leading a coup d’état that overthrew then President Tadjidine Ben Said Massounde.
According to data published in January by the Independent National Electoral Commission, after Azali Assoumani, in second place, was the candidate of the opposition Juwa party and former Minister of the Interior, Salim Issa Abdillah, with 20.26 percent of the votes, in third was candidate Daoudou Abdallah Mohamed, from the Orange Party, with 5.88%.
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